Family escapes house fire with their lives, but loses everything else

The victims plan to rebuild their lives in the same home, but that will take some time

December 18, 2013 3:15:27 PM PST

Crystal Kobza

HOUSTON --

A Houston family escaped their burning home, thanks to the quick thinking of their neighbors. A woman says she woke up to banging on the window, and that's when she found the home on fire.

An east Houston family is OK after escaping from their burning home on Market Street at Schweikhardt Street. We're told five adults and one child were all sleeping when the fire started at about 6am towards the back of the home.

Teira Charles says she is just thankful her little girl was not hurt.

"It was a lot of smoke and when we ran through it was hard to breathe, but we made it out," Charles said.

Sammie Anderson recalled, "I heard my auntie beating on the window. And I was like, 'Baby, get up. Baby, get up. We got to go!'"

Firefighters were called to the house in the 4600 block of Market Street at 6am. When they arrived, flames had consumed the house. Firefighters did their best to keep those flames from burning a two story home right next door, but it did suffer some damage too.

Chief Justin Barns with the Houston Fire Department said, "Our original plan was to keep the flames from catching the two story on fire and making sure everyone was out of the one story."

Firefighters say this family is lucky they were all able to make it out safely without anyone being overcome by smoke. This family, while counting their blessings, also tells us it's not easy seeing their house gone.

"It hurts because there is a lot of memories in that house," Charles said.

"Everything is gone," Anderson said. "Everything is gone."

The fire is under investigation. Arson investigators believe it could have started in the kitchen. The Red Cross is assisting the family who lost their Christmas gifts and everything else in the home.